Behind the Scenes
by mermaidm0tel
Summary: "She knew tons of girls would kill to meet Harrison Haddock, let alone fake date him, but not her. Oh, no—definitely not Astrid Hofferson. She'd rather gouge her eyes out with a spoon." / Or, Astrid is forced to fake-date Hiccup to make it in Hollywood.
1. Intro

She knew tons of girls would kill to meet Harrison Haddock, let alone fake date him, but not her. Oh, no—definitely not Astrid Hofferson. She'd rather gouge her eyes out with a spoon.

This was all her oh-so-charming manager Heather's idea. Astrid was apparently _so_ close to making it to Hollywood, and had "everything", according to her, but needed that extra push. But…

"Fake-dating? Seriously, Heather?" Astrid voiced her thoughts.  
>Her manager sighed exaggeratedly. "Hey, you know how tough it is these days. The music industry is dying, what with this online piracy thing. I know this isn't the most honourable way to—"<br>"You don't say," Astrid feigned surprise, blue eyes wide.  
>"Still, this is the boost you need to get you there!" Heather finished, decidedly ignoring her. "If you would just accept the help…"<br>Astrid bit her lip. "Fine."

After all, what could go wrong with a teeny tiny bit of drama?

Except it wasn't quite tiny. At all. Harrison Haddock was _big_. Just recently, he'd appeared in yet _another_ magazine, being named "the sexiest guy alive."

Heather mentioned it, as Astrid predicted.  
>"Seriously? He is not at all sexy."<br>"Aah!" Heather squealed, ignoring her yet again. "This is gonna be good! Oh, he is so adorable. I bet you guys would be cu—"  
>"All right, shut up already. So? He's good-looking and talented, sure. But it's not that big a deal. There's lots of other good-looking and talented guys out there! Seriously, what makes him so special?" Astrid grumbled.<br>"He's good-looking, all right!" Heather said dreamily. "Those green eyes, his freckles… and oh, his hair!"  
>"Oh my God, yeah, total hottie," Astrid said monotonously, face void of expression.<br>"Shh, not so loud! He might be outside the door right now!"

Another thing—he's _tardy_. They'd been stuck in his manager's office for an hour, staring at the blank white walls and the geometric-tiled floor. His manager, who referred to himself as Gobber, had even excused himself half an hour ago.

"Sure," Astrid scoffed.  
>"Ah, Astrid. Always a ray of sunshine." Heather joked. Astrid rolled her eyes for what must've been the fiftieth time that day. They fell into silence after that. Astrid was getting antsy when Heather broke the silence yet again. Heather placed a hand on one skinny shoulder. "You know, I'm proud of you. For making it this far."<p>

Astrid smiled softly.

She'd worked so hard to get where she was. Her life definitely wasn't easy, with a mother who's constantly absent and a father who'd never been there. The only way she got through everything was by writing and singing. It was her creative outlet. She performed for sick people at hospitals, the coffee shop she'd worked in, sometimes even just at the city streets. Somehow she got discovered.

Despite all of it, Astrid couldn't help but think of what would have been if none of it happened. She'd still be working at the coffee shop and singing for people that didn't know her. She wouldn't need to fake a relationship with a big-headed celebrity.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the door opened and he walked in.

* * *

><p><strong>So, hi! This was really short, but that's only because I don't know if anybody would like it. But basically, the whole plot is, Astrid sorta uses Hiccup for fame but they end up falling for each other in the end. Or in the middle. Also I don't write songs so yeah. Expect a whole lot of borrowing. Heh. Anyway, let me know (by reviewing!) what you thought, and if I should keep going with this fic :) <strong>


	2. Intro, pt II

She took in his appearance. Thin, tall and pale. Reddish-brown hair, green eyes, freckles. A wrinkled white shirt, blue jeans and a pair of dirty grey Converse. He looked like he'd made no effort to look nice at all.

But he still looked _nice_.

She was annoyed. How could he look so attractive like that? _Wait, no_, she scolded herself, _that's bad! Bad Astrid! He's a dumbhead. Don't look at him._

So far, he's been great evidence of her thoughts on famous people. She thought they were all dumb and egotistical, and she swore that if she ever got that famous, nobody would think of her like that. She'd prove them wrong.

He fixed his gaze on her. She was tall, lean and leggy. She had big, vibrant blue eyes, a cute nose, and lush pink lips. She wore a thin sweater that was way too big and black denim shorts, drawing his attention to her legs—she honestly had the best legs he'd ever seen.

_Huh. Tuff was right, maybe I'm a leg man_, he thought. _Whoa, what? Focus, man!_

"You're late," Astrid's voice brought him back to his current predicament. She scowled at him.  
>He shrugged and lazily took a seat beside her. "Yeah, sorry, I guess."<p>

_You guess?_ Astrid thought. _Great. He's exactly like I thought he'd be_. _Asshole._

Her unflinching gaze made him nervous. He sucked in some air… and hiccupped. She burst out laughing, and he turned as red as a tomato. He held his breath until he was fine.

"A hiccup?" Astrid finally blurted out, looking at the boy beside her.  
>The corner of his mouth tilted upward. "Glad that was amusing for you."<br>"Okay, Hiccup," she said airily.  
>"Seriously? Look, uh…" he started off with a ticked off tone, but trailed off when he realized he didn't know her name.<br>"Hiccup, meet Astrid." Gobber grinned. "Astrid, meet Hiccup."  
>Guess everyone's calling him that from now on.<br>"Hey," Hiccup said grudgingly. _Oh well, it's better than Harrison_.  
>Astrid nodded in acknowledgement.<br>"Pretty lass, eh?" Gobber laughed heartily.  
>"Indeed," Hiccup said, shooting Astrid a fleeting glance. He turned his gaze to her manager. "Hello, Heather. Nice to meet you."<br>"The pleasure is mine." Heather offered a professional smile. He smiled back, and soon he, Heather and Gobber were engaged in a friendly conversation about the industry.

Astrid found herself sitting there awkwardly, not contributing to the conversation in any way. She wanted to get it over with already—her ass was getting kind of numb from sitting down.

"I'll go get the contract from the photocopier next door, then I'll come back and we'll discuss this further," Gobber declared.  
>"I'll go too," Heather said, looking at the pair of teenagers. "Give you guys a chance to know each other."<br>They walked out, shutting the door behind them.

Astrid turned to look at Hiccup and found him staring at her, smirking. Every good thought she had about him that moment instantly vanished.

"What?" she snapped.  
>"What?" he shot back annoyingly.<br>"Jesus Christ, what have I done?" she muttered as she pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes.  
>Hiccup knew exactly what she was talking about.<br>"I'm right here, you know," he said, halfway between amused and offended. "That's not exactly proper etiquette."  
>"Wow, look who had a dictionary for breakfast!"<br>"What—hey, what did I ever do to you?"

The door opened in the middle of their bickering. Gobber stood in the doorway, eyebrows furrowed. "Cut it out, you two!"  
>"It hasn't even been five minutes and you're already at each other's throats," Heather said disappointedly, appearing behind him.<br>"Well, he started it," Astrid shot back.  
>"<em>What?<em>" Hiccup hissed. "I didn't even do anything!"  
>"Did too!"<br>"Did not!"  
>"Hey, I said cut it out!" Gobber bellowed. "What are you, <em>five<em>?"  
>Astrid noticed the papers in his hand and sighed. She looked at Hiccup. "Sorry."<br>"Yeah, I'm sorry too," he muttered. There was something in his tone that didn't quite seem to mean he was apologizing to her, like he's sorry for himself.

_For what? Agreeing to this? _Astrid wondered. She rubbed her temples. This was giving her a headache.

"Okay, let's talk about your _relationship_!" Heather said, her fingers making quotation marks in the air.  
>"Oh, screw me," Astrid muttered quietly to herself.<br>"I bet you say that to all the boys," Hiccup remarked, smirking.  
>Her eyebrows shot up. <em>Seriously, does he have bat ears?<br>_"What did you say?" she hissed.  
>"Come on, Granny McGranny pants, don't be so uptight, it was a joke."<br>"Yeah, at my expense! And what the hell is a Granny McGranny pan—you know what? Shut up! Just shut up so much!" she yelled.  
>He watched on amusedly, until a fist hit his arm. <em>Sweet baby Jesus, did that <em>hurt_! _He rubbed the spot she had punched. "Ow! Why would you _do_ that?"

* * *

><p>Gobber talked them through the entire thing. And because he'd heard the threats they were capable of making (yes, seven arguments broke out during the process), and seen the punches Astrid could throw, he'd come up with the idea of rules to keep them from killing each other. "There will be no limb-breaking or neck-breaking—actually, no violence for that matter. Don't kill each other. Murdering people is frowned upon."<br>"What about punching?" Astrid asked.  
>Heather glared at her. "That's violence."<br>"It's not violence, it's communication!" Astrid defended. It's true — punching people usually worked for her.  
>"I'd say there could be, if it doesn't kill Hiccup," Gobber said, scratching his chin. "On second tho—"<br>Heather stepped in. "Anyway, we need a backstory for you two. You can't just spontaneously be a couple out of nowhere. I doubt that's believable."  
>"Are you saying that—" Astrid began.<br>"It was not meant to be offensive," Heather shot her a pointed look. "You need to let people process everything, make them want you as a couple. It'd be more exciting."  
>Astrid contemplated the idea for a moment. "That's true."<br>"You were best friends in middle school and drifted apart," said Gobber. "But he found out you were moving to Hollywood, so he offered to let you move in, because you're _best friends_. Sound good, eh?"  
>"I like that story," Hiccup put in. Astrid turned to look at him and rolled her eyes.<br>Gobber grinned at the two. "That is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Hiccup."  
>"So we're seriously doing this? You're asking me to move in with someone else and leave… everything?" Astrid asked.<br>"Basically." Hiccup shrugged.  
>Astrid bit her lip anxiously.<br>"Because Astrid is too prideful to say it, I guess I'll say it for the both of us. Hiccup," Heather started, taking his hand in hers. "Thank you. Really."  
>He shrugged, making her let go of his hand. "Glad I could help."<p>

Astrid was deep in thought. She was already here. She told Heather she'd do it. And it wasn't like she could ruin her declining career any further. _Can't ruin something that wasn't there in the first place_, a little voice in her brain mocked.

"Screw it, let's just do this."

Hiccup and Astrid signed the relationship agreement, and Gobber emailed PDF copies to Heather and the two.  
>"Hold on, what's this 'Fact Sheets' thing?" Astrid asked, looking up from her phone.<br>"Well, Gobber and I decided to email each of you some facts and trivia about the other," Heather explained. "You have to know things about each other, since you're best friends now."  
>Astrid groaned.<br>"Oh yeah, you move in today," Hiccup told her.  
>"Today?"<br>He chuckled at the horrified look on her face. "Yeah, today."

"Horrified" was an understatement. She was scared_ shitless_ about moving in with Hiccup.

* * *

><p><strong>This one's a little longer, yay! Heheh. So, about updates… they'll probably happen often, because I'm nuts. I'm a loser with a laptop. Also I am not very updated with pop music so yeah, you'll probably get old-ish songs in this story. Just a heads-up.<br>****ALSO IS IT JUST ME OR DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK OF TAYLOR MOMSEN WHEN THEY LOOK AT ASTRID  
><strong>**okay sorry i lost my chill there but i'm calm now i swear**

**Thoughts pls? Click the lil review button below yaaaaay**


	3. III - Astrid

**Thank you guys for reviewing/following/favoriting, seriously. Reviews are like Red Bull. They keep me going. **

**In response to guest TrueFury, the whole parasite thing is a part of the story, so yeah.**

**Also, I don't know if everyone will like it, but I've taken up the suggestion to put in the points of view thingy, so everyone can get a sense of what's going on in characters' heads. This is mostly just Astrid and Hiccup, though. I'll alternate between them in each chapter. Tell me what you think after you read :)**

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><p>She repeated Heather's words in her head as she and Hiccup walked out of the building. "<em>It's only for five months. Hiccup will help you move into his apartment, mansion, whatever. You're going to spend time together, like best friends do. Maybe flirt casually. Fake a relationship. Before you know it, five months will have gone, then you can break up<em>."

_Five months_, Astrid told herself. _You'll live_.

"Are we going now?" she asked, tugging at her sweater. "_Right_ now?"

"No, let's wait until you're 47," Hiccup said sarcastically. He pulled a key fob out of his pocket as they walked to his Lexus. Standing next to each other, she noticed they were almost the same height, him being only an inch or two (or three, but she wouldn't admit it) taller.

"The all-new RC 350!" he flashed her a boyish grin.

Astrid gave the car a once-over, and then raised an eyebrow. "That's a surprise."

"What?"

"I was expecting a… I don't know… Maserati?" she said questioningly and shrugged.

Hiccup shook his head in amusement. She got in the car and strapped herself in.

"So, uh…directions?" Hiccup inquired once they settled.

A small sense of dread washed over her at the question as she realized what was about to happen. Hiccup would see the horrible apartment she and her mother lived in. Well, technically, she and her best friend lived there, since her mother was never around. She knew it wasn't the most beautiful place and she was ashamed of it. Although she was already well-known and an up-and-coming star, she never quite had the money to move out. The apartment was in the cheapest and the worst part of the city—the place swarmed with drug dealers, prostitutes and homeless people. Only the disreputable thrived there.

Even so, she robotically gave him the address. He asked for landmarks since he had never been there, and she anxiously complied. As they reached the area, she bit her lip in nervous anticipation. They were a few meters away from the building when she spoke up.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" Hiccup hummed in response.

She sighed. "Can I ask you not to…you know, judge? Just don't ask questions, okay?"

He gave her a sideways glance for a moment before turning back to the road. "Okay."

"You can stop here," she said as they neared the apartment building. She saw him looking at her curiously as they came to a stop. Both got out of the car and walked towards the building's entrance.

He cleared his throat. "The place looks—"

She turned around to look at him, simultaneously clutching the glass door's handle. "Appalling?"

"I was going to say familiar, but that works too," he said, and then grinned. It looked so out of place in the dreary surroundings.

Astrid blinked and turned her back to him to push the door open. She motioned for him to go. He didn't move, just stared at her. She stared right back for a few seconds before raising an eyebrow. He shrugged one shoulder before walking in. "Curiouser and curiouser," she heard him mumble as he passed. She stepped into the building and walked towards the stairs.

"Fourth floor," she said as she rummaged in her bag for keys, figuring he needed a little information. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him walking towards the elevator. "That's broken."

He groaned and trudged over to her. She rolled her eyes and started walking up the stairs. Her feet made soft shuffling noises on the carpet, while his made no noise at all. Curious about how he was doing it, she turned her head to look at him.

And caught him staring at her derrière.

Whether he was aware that she'd caught him or not, she didn't know. She guessed he wasn't, by the way he unabashedly kept staring. She smirked. "It's nice, isn't it?"

She dissolved into laughter as he turned scarlet.

* * *

><p>Before she knew it, they were standing in front of the door. She stared at the rusted metal plate that said 4C, just like it always had, ever since she could remember.<p>

Astrid placed a hand on the doorknob, praying that her mother wasn't home. She pushed the door open slowly, and much to her relief, it was quiet. Whether her mom or best friend was passed out somewhere or both weren't there, she didn't know; either way, she was happy. She didn't want to deal with either person with Hiccup around. She looked around the messy room and sighed at the huge comforter on the floor, along with a pile of pillows and blankets, unmade and lying in plain sight. _Ruffnut_, Astrid thought, making a mental note to call her friend and chew her out. She turned to look at Hiccup and opened her mouth to apologize.

However, he spoke before she could get a word out. "Which way is your room?"

She caught his disarming green eyes. "Follow me."

She looked away and began walking him to the only tidy space in the cramped apartment. She opened the door, smiling brokenly at her sanctuary. "It's not much, but—"

"It's good," Hiccup said. She saw him glance at her bed. "Looks cozy."

If he was thinking negative thoughts, Astrid was grateful he was keeping it to himself. After being in his company for almost five hours, she had gathered that he can be quite confusing—half the time he was an asshole, the other, well… he wasn't too bad.

Hiccup sat on the bed and situated himself so that he was comfortable. "I was right."

"Well, okay. Make yourself at home, I guess." Astrid grabbed her suitcase from under the bed.

He stared at her. "Go on, pack."

Weirded out by his watchful stare, she shook her head and walked to her closet. She grabbed her necessities first then chucked them into the open suitcase. She swept multiple shirts and pairs of jeans off the closet and carried them over.

"You're really thin," she heard Hiccup say. "Just an observation."

Astrid shrugged, not knowing how to reply. She quickly and neatly placed the clothes in the suitcase and walked back to the closet. She grabbed her jackets and her dresses. She came across short negligees, garter belts with suspenders, lingerie, and corset-type dresses. She bit her lip, wondering if she should pack them.

"Why do you have those?" Hiccup inquired, peering at the articles of clothing. "Is that what you wear? Are you like, one of those rock chicks?"

_You say it like it's a bad thing_, she thought.

"Think I should bring them?" she countered his question.

He was silent for a few moments—it seemed like he was thinking hard. He then looked at her and grinned suggestively. "Yeah, sure."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Seriously."

"I said sure," he shrugged.

She threw them in the suitcase along with her jackets. She then tried zipping it up, but it only shut halfway through._ I didn't know I had that many clothes_, she mused.

"Need help?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes please," she forced the p-word out through gritted teeth. She sat on top of the suitcase. "Zip it up."

He got up and stood in front of her, chuckling. He zipped the suitcase up effortlessly.

"Thanks," she said begrudgingly.

Hiccup grinned. "You're welcome, Milady."

* * *

><p>The drive to Hiccup's place was pretty uneventful. Astrid read through his facts sheet and teased him relentlessly.<p>

"You have a dog called Toothless?" she laughed out rather ungracefully.

He rolled his eyes. "Hey, don't hate on the dog!"

"No, just—does he have teeth?"

"Yes," he grumbled. "We're here."

"Yeah, I—whoa." Astrid looked around in astonishment. The amount of photographers and paparazzi near his house was outrageous. She had her fair share of photographers, but never this much. She was flabbergasted.

"You might wanna close your mouth," Hiccup joked.

She rolled her eyes, recovering from her small stupor. "Oh, shut up."

"Okay. You ready?"

_Yeah, no._


	4. IV - Hiccup

**I'M SORRY THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG, ALSO I'M SORRY I DIDN'T CLARIFY THINGS BUT HERE YOU GO ANON THE ANSWER TO YOUR AGE QUESTION IS: IN THIS STORY THEY'RE SEVENTEEN so yeah i hope that clears things up!**

**you'll know whose point of view the chapters are written in if you look at the chapter title :)**

**and yeah, i forgot to mention in previous chapters: i do not own anything, as i said before i'm just a loser with a laptop**

* * *

><p>On a normal day, Hiccup would roll the windows down and politely ask the paparazzi to leave, but the presence of the blonde beauty by his side reminded him that today was not a normal day.<p>

He got out of the car, immediately getting blinded by the flashes of cameras. He headed to the back and opened the trunk, waving Astrid over. He watched as she opened the door and stepped out, sunglasses on, graciously avoiding stepping on anyone. She walked over to him, long legs criss-crossing, like he'd seen runway models do—only hers wasn't exaggerated. She put a hand on her suitcase, but he gently pushed it away and instead gave her the box that contained her shoes. He shrugged at the indignant look on her face—he knew this was what the media and the public wanted to see. It made sense: they wanted him to be _that_ guy, and her to be a damsel in distress saved by her knight in shining armor. He could tell she wasn't pleased by the expression on her face. He nudged her side and whispered, "Smile." She rolled her eyes but smiled back nonetheless. Real or not, he couldn't tell. He was just glad she had the self-control to keep her mouth shut and to not rip anyone to shreds. Hiccup grabbed the suitcase and closed the trunk.

The crowd of photographers approached them like a swarm of bees, yelling "give us a pose" and other nonsensical things. Reporters from magazines, news stations and radio stations crowded around them, shouting questions—some for him, some for her and some for the both of them. One question stuck out particularly.

"How do you guys know each other?"

The two looked at one another, smiling. Everyone else quieted, anxious to hear the answer. Hiccup spoke. "Well, we met when we were kids and eventually we became close friends."

"Pretty tight," Astrid added. "Until Hiccup here…"

"Hiccup?" a reporter repeated.

"Yeah, it's her nickname for me," Hiccup laughed; a few reporters _aww_-ed.

"So, you drifted apart because of your big break?" another reporter shouted out, shoving a mic close to his face.

"Yeah, we'd lost contact for a few years, so when I heard she was moving to LA, I asked her to move in," he answered.

"More like forced me," Astrid grinned.

The reporters laughed. _If only they knew_, Hiccup thought. The questions continued, and Hiccup noticed the one thing that the reporters kept mentioning and asking her about, something about a video on YouTube. He made a mental note to check it out later.

"Well, it's been great, but we really gotta get going," he said, lifting the suitcase. He put an arm around Astrid's waist. "She's still got some settling in to do."

The crowd parted to make way for them and Hiccup led Astrid through the gate to the front porch. He unlocked the door and carried the suitcase in, with Astrid trailing behind. He grinned. "Welcome to your new home!"

"Why are you being nice?" she asked, seeming suspicious. "They can't hear us."

"On Earth, we say thank you."

She rolled her eyes. "There it is."

"What's there?" he asked.

"You, being an ass."

"Uh, okay."

"What are you going to do about those people?" Astrid motioned to the cluster of fans waiting outside the gates.

"Greet them?" Hiccup suggested.

Astrid nodded. "They've probably been waiting for hours. I think you should."

"No, I think _we _should," he grinned. _This is going to be fun_, he thought. "I remember how freaked out they get when they meet me. Imagine their reaction when they meet _us_."

"What's with the emphasis? There is no _us_," Astrid huffed.

"Yet," Hiccup added with a wink. She punched his arm, hard.

"Ow," he wheezed. "Why is it always violence with you?"

"I reiterate—it's not violence, it's communication."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm not sure if I even want to know what that means."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Come on, Loverboy."

* * *

><p>They decided to do a short meet and greet, feeling sorry that they had to wait for a long time. That was mostly Astrid, because "she <em>hated<em> waiting." Hiccup just thought it would be mean not to say hi to them after they stood there for hours.

Hiccup listened in on Astrid's conversations with her fans, waiting for her to accidentally blurt out something stupid. It never happened, though—all he heard were people telling her how hot she is, how excited they are about her music, how she saved them and how they related to her music (which prompted him to think of listening to her songs). They asked about her eyeshadow, her high heels and her 'stripper image'—all of which Hiccup had no clue about.

His conversations with his fans were quite similar, save for makeup and heels and stripper stuff. Quite a lot of people asked about Toothless—and now, about Astrid.

"Has Astrid always called you Hiccup?" an excited fan asked.

"Yeah," Hiccup answered. "We met when we were kids, and I was really awkward then—"

"_Really_ awkward," Astrid interrupted jokingly.

"Thanks, Astrid. Anyway, I hiccupped in front of her so she started calling me Hiccup, and yeah… I guess it stuck."

"That's so adorable!" a few people gushed. Everyone was yelling all at once, but he caught something that got his interest: "You guys are, like, everyone's OTPs! You're all over Tumblr and Twitter!"

"Wow, that's fast," he found himself saying.

"Yeah, I totally ship you guys!"

While Astrid looked confused, Hiccup was smiling at their enthusiasm. His fans are his favorite people in the world. Even though they often confused him with _oteepees_ and 'shipping'.

"Uh, thank you," he said, chuckling. He snaked an arm around Astrid's waist and pulled her closer to him, earning some screams.

"I want a selfie with you guys!"

"How about we stick with group pictures for now, hmm? We gotta make this quick 'cause it's getting dark, and you all have to stay safe, okay?"

* * *

><p>He wished Toothless was there with them. His mother took Toothless for the day to take care of him, and Hiccup hasn't heard from her yet. That was a downer for him, since he loved Toothless's company, and Toothless would've made things less awkward—Astrid had mentioned her love for animals while they were in the car.<p>

He had shown her the main bedroom, the master bedroom, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, and the guest bedroom she would be sleeping in. He even showed her attic, the basement and the panic room. He had let her settle in and renovate her room a bit—which took quite some time, and in that period, he had watched two movies. Now she was back, and had just frankly announced that she was bored. He couldn't think of anything to suggest—he was 73% certain she wasn't a reader.

An idea popped into his head. "Hey, you want pizza?"

"That'd be great, thanks," she said. "I want cheese pizza."

He nodded. "I'll make a call. You wanna see the studio?"

"Now?" she asked. "It's kind of late, would it even be open?"

"No, I meant the studio here." Hiccup grinned.

Her eyes went wide. "That's pretty cool."

"I've been told," he laughed. "Upstairs. Go straight in the hallway, that's where it leads to."

"Am I allowed to touch stuff?"

"Go nuts."

Astrid nodded. She jogged up the stairs, out of sight.

Hiccup sat on the couch and grabbed his phone. He called up a pizza company, laughing when the person on the other end of the line squeaked. He nicely ordered the pizzas and thanked the person before hanging up. He put his phone back in his pocket and started making his way up the stairs. He heard Astrid singing and playing the piano as he walked. He would describe her voice as _great_. It was a little different to her talking voice, but it suited her personality and looks. It was low and a little gravelly—a voice for rock music, he figured. He wondered about the extent of her ability.

Before he realized it, he was in front of the door. He sat down on the floor and just listened, not wanting to intrude, even though she was in _his _studio. Besides, he didn't want to interrupt her creative process. Her voice and the piano stopped a few times, and he got the feeling she was piecing a song together. It was silent for a few moments before she started playing again.

_I don't believe in fairytales_

_I don't believe in fairytales_

_I don't believe in fairytales but I believe in you and me_

Hearing her slam the keys, Hiccup shook his head and stood up. He opened the door and walked in, smiling. "That doesn't sound too rock and roll."

"Wasn't supposed to." Astrid looked up. "What's up?"

"Just waiting for the pizza. It should be here in fifteen minutes," he said. He sat on the armchair he often sat on to write songs. "Need some help?"

She shook her head. "Nah, I got this."

"If you insist. So, uh…" he cleared his throat. Astrid rolled her eyes immediately.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"Gobber wasn't lying when he said you were awkward."

"Oh. I was just going to ask a question."

"Well, spit it out."

"Um, okay. Since we're going to be living together and hanging out for five months, can we be friends? Or at least try to be friends?" he asked quickly. He watched her gaze soften.

"Sure, Hiccup." Astrid smiled.

"Great," he sighed in relief. _She should smile more often_, he found himself thinking. "Hey, can I film everything? I mean, the stuff that happens tonight."

"_What_? No."

"Come on, everyone will love it. And I'm not going to reveal your song. Okay, maybe bits of it, but… it'll just be those bits. Everyone's going to think every night's a sleepover when it comes to us."

"Fine, whatever."

He set a camera up somewhere with a good view of everything and pressed the record button. He declared that they were on video. He grabbed his phone and opened its camera. "Hey Astrid?"

"Yeah?" Astrid said without looking up, fiddling with the piano.

"Do you mind the camera?"

"No, I guess."

"Well, good, 'cause you look incredible tonight," he said, grinning. "Your socks are stunning."

She laughed. "Why thank you. Your socks are stunning too."

"That's 'cause my mom bought them."

"You heard it, folks. Hiccup's mom still buys his socks. Hiccup has no sense of style. It's all his mom."

"Thank you for summing that up. Have I ever told you about the thermal socks I had?"

"Nope."

"Of course not. Well, you better listen carefully, because I'm going to tell you." Hiccup launched into an exaggerated, fake sock story. He noticed her answers getting short and unfocused.

"Okay, that's it, I'm going to help you." Hiccup propped his phone on the piano sill and sat next to her. "What have you got?"

"I've got something for the first verse and the chorus, but yeah, I'm pretty much stuck."

"Okay, hit me."

He listened intently as she played and sang what she had so far. He watched her fingers dance across the keys and the expression on her face.

_I'm not Snow White_

_but I'm lost inside this forest_

_I'm not Red Riding Hood_

_but I think the wolves have got me_

_Don't want your stilettos_

_I'm not, not Cinderella_

_I don't need a knight_

_so baby take off all your armor_

She stopped playing. "You heard the rest earlier."

"Yeah, that was amazing," he admitted truthfully. He grabbed the pen and paper on top of the piano and scribbled something down. "Try that."

Astrid nodded, thinking hard. "It works."

The doorbell rang, startling both of them.

"Pizza!" they said at the same time.

Hiccup scrambled off the bench and grabbed his phone, turning it so they were in the video frame. "Last one downstairs is a stinky diaper!"

They raced down the hallway and the stairs, reaching the door at about the same time.

"I win." Astrid grinned. She opened the door.

"So competitive," Hiccup muttered. He read the pizza delivery guy's nametag. "Hey, Robbie! Astrid, say hi to Robbie."

She nodded at Robbie and smiled. "Hey."

"Holy crap."

He laughed. "You look starstruck."

"I am! You're… you know, good-looking. No homo, man. And she looks even more gorgeous in person!"

"Oh, thanks."

Astrid snorted. "I'm really nothing special."

"Wrong, Milady," Hiccup said sappily. "You're my special lady."

"Shut up, Hiccup."

He made kissing noises, putting his face close to hers.

"Hiccup, be considerate to Robbie! His arms are getting tired from carrying your pizza," she put a hand to his cheek and turned his head to the side.

"It's our pizza. Our _special_ pizza."

"Hiccup," Astrid warned.

"Okay, don't punch me!"

* * *

><p><strong>whoever first notices the change i made in the previous chapter (the key word is Toothless) gets to be mentioned in the story as someone (i.e. a fan, so tell me your name), OR gets to request a one-shot or a short event that happens in this story c:<strong>

**tell me your answer by reviewing!**


	5. V - Astrid

Astrid threw her controller at Hiccup, who managed to finally beat her at Mario Kart. They've been hurling insults that could break up a 10-year marriage at each other for the past hour.

"I hate you," she ranted.

He laughed, annoying her even more. "You're a sore loser."

"You threw a fit over a banana."

"I did no such thing," he said defensively. "I was just…yeah, fine, I guessI did."

Astrid leaned back and smirked victoriously.

"Oh, can I see what you did to your room?" Hiccup asked eagerly.

"Uh, sure."

They walked up to her temporary room. She opened the door and flicked the lights on. Some of her clothes were still strung all over the bed, her suitcase was lying open on the floor, and the closet door was ajar. "Neat, huh?"

"Definitely." Hiccup laughed.

Astrid sat on the bed and shoved some clothes away sheepishly. She had moved the bed near to the big window, with the headboard meeting the edges of the windowsill. She had also moved the nightstand next to it, then moved the flat-screen TV that Hiccup had promised to the opposite wall, so she could watch TV in bed. The mini-fridge that was also promised was on the other side of the bed. The closet was shoved in a far corner. A full body mirror was hung on the wall beside it. She had moved the vanity near the room's adjoined bathroom. She had dragged a small table and two huge beanbags to the center of the room, in front of the TV.

"I wasn't sure where to start. So I moved furniture around but that obviously didn't help."

"Don't worry about it," Hiccup waved her off. "You're stuck here for five months, so…there's that."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You're making it sound really bad."

"You were like that in the first place," he countered.

She had to admit, that was true. "Well, I'm over it now. So you should be, too."

"Great. Oh, hey, tomorrow's agenda is shopping. Gotta get you some things."

Astrid frowned. "I hate shopping."

"Really? That's a first for me."

"Not hard to believe." she said. She heard a car door slam shut and the gates clanking open. "Let's go see who that is."

He nodded and got up. She followed him down the hallway and the stairs. Hiccup peeked through a thick curtain on the nearest window.

"Oh, it's them!" he opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch.

Astrid was puzzled. She trailed after him, asking, "Who?"

"Toothless!" Hiccup said excitedly. He whistled. "Come here, bud."

A black Rottweiler puppy bounded over to them, wagging his tail and running in circles around their legs. Astrid smiled despite herself. She found Toothless and Hiccup's excitement… well, adorable. She looked back out on the porch. In the dark, she could make out a woman's silhouette. "Who's with him?"

"My mom," Hiccup answered.

The woman strode towards them with a friendly smile on her face.

Hiccup smiled back. "Hey, Mom. How was Toothless?"

"He's been good. He's got quite the appetite," his mother chuckled. She shot Astrid a wide smile. "But what I'm really here for is this little lady!"

"Me?" Astrid's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Yes!" Hiccup's mother said, still smiling. "Astrid, right?"

Astrid nodded and extended her hand to Hiccup's mother. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs Haddock."

The woman shook her hand firmly. "Oh, I hate formality—you can call me Valka, dear. I've heard so much about you!"

_Oh, shit_, Astrid thought.

Hiccup must've seen the panic on her face, because he laughed. "Don't worry, she's in on this."

Valka nodded. "I just had to see for myself."

Astrid smiled in relief. "Well, here I am. Would you like to come in?"

"No, no. I just came by to drop Toothless off, and to see you, of course." Valka patted their heads. "Have a good night, you kids."

Hiccup hugged his mother goodbye and Astrid settled with a friendly wave and a "take care." As soon Valka's car disappeared from sight, the two teens turned their backs to see Toothless sitting with a paw on the door, wagging his tail.

* * *

><p>"Oh look, I'm trending. Oh, you're trending too!"<p>

Astrid looked up from her book. "What was that?"

Hiccup held his phone close to her face. Astrid pushed his hand away, blinking.

"You idiot, that hurt my eyes."

"Sorry, milady. But you're trending."

"That's great news, Hiccup," Astrid said, turning back to her book. She appreciated it, but she was on a particularly good part of the novel.

"Aw, look at our pictures. You look adorable," she heard him coo.

She tuned him out, mumbling, "Cool."

"Ha, look at this! A video."

"Okay."

"Astrid, are you listening? I feel like you're not listening."

"That's nice."

"Yeah, you're not listening."

"Awesome."

"My hair's on fire."

"That's great, Hiccup," Astrid sighed. A blood-curdling scream pierced her ears, startling her and the puppy curled up on top of her stomach. The book dropped from her hands. "What the fuck?"

"Yeah, now you're listening!" Hiccup grinned.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You made me lose my page!"

"Oh, come on. You've been reading for hours. Toothless even fell asleep on you."

"So? Toothless needed the sleep. He's tired. And you practically screamed in his ear." Astrid pointed out. "You probably even damaged his hearing."

"He's fine, see? He looks happy," Hiccup offered.

"He's got his head buried on my side."

"Would you just look at stuff with me? You're boring."

Astrid sighed. "Fine. Five minutes, then leave me alone."

"Deal."

Astrid scooted close to him and looked at his phone over his shoulder. "Fill me in."

"Well, there's pictures of us everywhere on the internet. We're trending. And there's this hashtag thing called 'HiccstridVsAsscup'—"

"What the hell is that?" Astrid squinted at the screen.

"Let's see," Hiccup shrugged. He clicked the hashtag and the screen flicked.

"Oh… Um, wow, we have a couple name. They're… creative."

"_Asscup_." Hiccup laughed childishly.

Astrid snorted and returned to her previous lying position. "Read them out loud."

"ASSCUP HAHAHAHAHA MY OTP," Hiccup recited loudly but monotonously.

"Man, put some feelings into it."

"HICCSTRID AKA MY—_what?_—My B-B-Y-S…beebees? Babies?"

"Yeah, probably. Read more."

"CHECK OUT THE HICCSTRID/ASSCUP ONE-SHOT I WROTE ON MY TUMBLR!" Hiccup read out expressively. "Oh, there's a link. I can't read that. Should I click on it?"

Astrid sat up again next to him, curious. "Do we dare?"

"Yes we do." Hiccup clicked on the link. "It's a story, I think."

"Let's read it, then." Astrid pulled his hand down to get a better look.

They read the story about them. To Astrid, it was cute and witty at first, until…

"Wow," Hiccup whistled, closing the page. "Getting steamy in there."

"I think that's enough for today."

"Uh-huh. Definitely."

* * *

><p><strong>sorry it's so short! it's kind of a filler chapter bc i have writer's block rn, and i'm waiting for user <strong>_**TamaraIsabel**_** (did i even get that right) to pm me or smth bc she won the thing, and she hasn't yet so i have no idea what to write at the moment :( pls help and review :(**


	6. VI - Hiccup

When he woke up, Hiccup nearly rocketed out of his skin and into the ceiling (okay, not really, but that was just how startled he was).

There was a girl (Astrid).

In his living room.

Sleeping on the couch (next to him).

His dog was cuddled up to her, which was kinda adorable but kinda offensive, too. _What a traitor_.

Hiccup recalled the previous night's events, when they had moved in together. He'd probably need a while to get used to it, waking up and having her around. 24/7. For five months. But for some reason, no matter how annoying she was, her presence was…_comforting_. He guessed being alone most of the time did that to people, but regardless, having a sort-of-friend felt nice.

He glanced over at Astrid. She was curled up and sound asleep, eyelashes fluttering against the tops of her cheekbones, her long, pale gold hair splayed every which way. She seemed like a…doll? Corpse? Corpse doll? No, really – she didn't seem to be breathing because he couldn't see her chest rising and falling. It kind of freaked him out, so to make sure, he put a hand in front of her nose. To his relief, he felt her soft, steady breaths on his palm. He couldn't help the small smile that settled over his lips; she was actually very pretty in a gentle kind of way, but he guessed that was only when she's not mean and stressed out – otherwise, he still thought she's pretty, just in a fierce way. An image of her getting out of the car yesterday and walking towards him gracefully flashed in his mind. She was sixteen yet she'd seemed so grown up.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Toothless began nudging his hand away.

"Hey, bud."

Toothless snorted and burrowed back to Astrid's chest.

Hiccup shook his head. "All right. Good morning to you, too."

He sat up, pulling his blanket off of himself and draping it over her. Even if she hated him (it was actually pretty clear to him that she did, thanks to her not-so-subtle hostility), he decided he was still going to attempt to be the peacekeeper. However, he wasn't going to restrain himself either, he wouldn't hesitate to argue back if she pushed him. They could be friends or they could be enemies; he was cool with either. He agreed to this whole ordeal because he wanted to help. If she didn't want his help, though, there was nothing he could do about that.

He got up, showered and dressed himself, and being the good fake-best friend he is, decided to make breakfast. Hiccup needed food, and he needed food now. He headed to the kitchen and got the eggs and bacon out of the fridge, humming a song that his parents often danced to. Contrary to popular belief, he was surprisingly good in the kitchen. Hiccup was admittedly impeccable at baking, but of course he wasn't going to say anything about it and probably never will, considering the fact that it's a little embarrassing.

Toothless strolled into the room, sniffing. Hiccup watched in amusement as Toothless ran over and circled him, his tail wagging.

"Yeah, now you love me, don't you?" Hiccup said smugly. If there's one thing he learned over the past three months since he'd bought the dog, is that he loved anyone who provided him food.

He made toast with bacon and eggs, and arranged them carefully onto plates before setting everything neatly on the table. He started to brew coffee, gave Toothless some food then ventured back to the living room to wake Astrid up.

He shook her shoulder, making her mumble and push her face into her pillow (which he found so very adorable but don't tell anyone because he will deny it and he will deny it so hard). He tried a couple more times, but she didn't budge. She no longer seemed like a carcass, so he figured she just didn't want to get up. Just to test her reaction, he pushed his face close to her hair and nudged her side. She turned her head and sure enough, they ended up face to face.

Needless to say, she shoved his face away and groaned ("Five more minutes.").

He bit his lip to keep himself from bursting into laughter. "Wake up, it's breakfast time!"

"Now?" she asked, eyes still closed. She sounded like a kid, which was a bit irritating but actually endearing at the same time. He mentally noted that this was her sleepy voice, and that he was going to hear it quite a lot.

"Well, it's time for breakfast, so I'd say yeah, now," he said, a little amused.

"Oh. Mmkay," she mumbled drowsily, rolling back onto her side.

Hiccup sighed. "Astrid."

She moaned. Hiccup felt kind of embarrassed because it was a little (okay, _a lot_) hot, and it sent blood rushing to his cheeks. She sat up, one hand rubbing her eyes. He grabbed her free hand and hauled her up, steadying her by the waist when she almost stumbled. "Come on, milady."

Astrid hummed in response. She seemed to wake up at the smell of freshly made coffee. He led her to the kitchen and sat her down opposite him, with Toothless immediately settling beside her chair and looking at her expectantly. Astrid smiled sleepily at the dog and scratched his chin.

A smile settled on Hiccup's lips at the sight. "You better wash your hands before touching your food."

Astrid nodded, gave Toothless a final pat and went to the sink to wash her hands.

"I never knew you'd be this much work in the morning," Hiccup said, taking a seat and starting to pick on his food.

"It's never going to happen again," she yawned, stretching as she walked back to her chair. "I'm never this tired in the morning."

"I can tell," Hiccup remarked, amused. He doubted that not-tired Astrid would act like this. She'd probably even be the first one up in the morning. She'd probably dump a bucket of cold water on him if he refused to get up. He watched as she sat and downed about half of her coffee in one gulp.

She put the mug down and frowned, looking (adorably) confused. "That was hot coffee."

"Wow, really?" he said sarcastically.

"I'm so tired, nothing is getting through correctly," she groaned.

"You should take a break," he suggested through a mouthful of toast and eggs. "You could use it."

She rolled her eyes (he smiled to himself at this – he knew she was going to take offense somehow) and picked up her fork (_Finally!_). "Geez, thanks."

"Seriously. There's a thing where they let celebrities have a holiday and disappear for a while. It's pretty cool," Hiccup said, recalling the time when he was new to fame—interviews and promos every two minutes, getting mobbed by people. It was highly testing and stressful.

"I'm hardly a celebrity," Astrid shrugged noncommittally. "I doubt they'd let me take a rest so soon."

"Maybe after a little more of _this_," he gestured between them vaguely, "we could convince them to let us go on a holiday. Then you can go on a cruise or something. I'd leave you to yourself till it's time to go back."

"Supposing we did go on this holiday, what would you do?"

Hiccup grinned. "I'd do exciting things without you, of course."

Over the course of 24 hours, he had managed to call her 'boring' about 12 times and come out unscathed (seriously, she had finished two novels in one night and she didn't even _like_ Mario Kart—but damn, she was good, and it sort of frustrated him). But the truth was she fascinated him for some odd reason. He had yet to figure that one out.

He realized he'd completely zoned out while Astrid was talking. She was saying something about…eggs?

"What, do you not like the breakfast I made?" he asked, feigning hurt.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You weren't even listening."

"Hey, I caught the eggs part," he said defensively.

Astrid hmm-ed and went back to eating. He felt awkward just watching her and not eating, so he gathered up his tableware and loaded them in the dishwasher. Astrid gave him hers after she finished and started cleaning up the table.

"We have to go out to—" he stopped, amused at her miserable groan. "We have to. We're just going to get lunch, possibly coffee, too."

"Okay," she sighed.

"We can go and buy books," he added. "I've got _the_ credit card and it practically can't run out, so… we can go nuts."

"Awesome," she said, smiling slightly.

He gasped exaggeratedly. "Gold digger! You're in this for money so you can buy books!"

"Totally," Astrid said impassively, but he didn't miss the amused edge to her voice.

"I knew it from the start," he said, hanging his head dramatically. "Just go. You broke my heart."

He heard Astrid snort (_so unladylike_) before she walked out.

A few minutes later, they were both ready and putting on shoes. They'd unconsciously color coordinated ("I am _not _changing, Hofferson." "Well, neither am I!"), and had decided to let it go since it would probably help them more than it would hurt them. They exited Hiccup's house and walked to his car, with Astrid braiding her still-damp hair complicatedly.

"What are we doing? Like…as in _us_?" she asked as he unlocked the doors with the key fob.

Hiccup grinned at her. "You know, I vaguely recall you saying there was no 'us'just yesterday."

Astrid paused, her hand on the door handle of his Lexus. She shot him a glare that he interpreted as, '_You know what I meant, you asshole,_' and climbed inside. Hiccup chuckled and got in, starting the car after buckling his seatbelt.

"Well, milady, like our management said, 'go out and show minor affection.' I'm thinking a hug, possibly a lingering gaze…shouldn't be too difficult," he shrugged.

"I think it'll be quite difficult, actually."

He stopped at the red light and cast her a sideways glance. "And why is that?"

"Because I'll have to look at you – more specifically, your face. And come on, I have to _linger_. That's enough to make anyone hurl," she said, grinning wickedly.

He rolled his eyes playfully before accelerating once more. "I could say the same for you."

"Hey, come up with your own insults," she huffed as she turned up the radio.

With Astrid not talking and the music at the right volume, Hiccup was able to think for a while.

Astrid was _different_. She was a change from the usual, a breath of fresh air. Since his big break, nearly every girl he'd ever met either fell to his feet (sometimes literally) or tried to dupe/allure/seduce him and whatnot, but not Astrid. She could be a hellcat, but he guessed he didn't have much to say about that, because he'd also been a jerk. _I guess first impressions _are _everything_, he thought. He noted that they had next to nothing in common, as far as he knew, which made him second-guess why he agreed to _this_ in the first place. He supposed it was because he felt empathetic. Being so, so close to fame, but not close enough – it was crushing. He felt like he needed to help her cross the line. Astrid was a breath of fresh air, plainly because she wasn't into him and she wasn't smothering him. But she was unbelievably rude, kind of ungrateful, and boy, was she violent. So, Hiccup concluded, maybe Astrid was just one really annoying breath of fresh air.

"…dig this up from YouTube. Here's a cover from an up and coming star! For the first time ever on radio, here's Astrid Hofferson – rumored girlfriend and official bestie of Harrison "_Hiccup"_ Haddock—oh God they're adorable – with her cover of Nirvana's _All Apologies_!" a female radio host gushed.

Hiccup looked at Astrid, who was staring at the radio, eyes wide.

"Did that—did that _thing_ just say… I… I'm on the… What?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that _thing_ just did," Hiccup chuckled at the confused look on her face. It didn't last long, though, because she suddenly punched him on the arm.

"Holy shit!"

"Don't abuse the driver," he chided with an amused smile. He winked at her and said, "Way to go, babe!"

She looked like she didn't mind, so he made it a point to start calling her that. Honestly, she just looked dopey _and_ happy.

Hiccup realized two seconds later that he just ran a red light because he was looking at her. And _no_, it wasn't because she looked beautiful at the moment. It wasn't because of her wide smile – all dimples and bright eyes.

She was peaceful and he wasn't used to it, so halfway through the song he asked, "Did you take lessons?"

Astrid shook her head. "Why? Should I have?"

"No, not at all," he said quickly. "You just sound good."

To his surprise, she laughed. "Okay."

"You're insane."

He decided to brush it off and enjoy the music. He liked the band and he'd be lying to himself if he said Astrid didn't do them justice. He chanced a glance at her – she looked _adorable_ – a surprising contrast to her voice.

The rest of the drive was quiet. They were almost at the mall when Hiccup remembered his awful crime.

"I ran a red light," he said slowly, appalled. "I am a horrendous person."

"_Horrendous?_ Oh God, you haven't shat out the dictionary you swallowed."

"I'm serious!"

Astrid looked at him and smirked. "No, you're Hiccup _Horrendous_ Haddock."

"Dude!"

* * *

><p><strong>as of this chapter, updates will probably take more time than usual, 'cause i'm trying to write longer chapters so i wouldn't frustrate you guys :) <strong>


	7. VII - Astrid

**thank you guys for sticking with this story :) i hope you're having a good year so far**

* * *

><p>"Astrid, where are you?"<p>

The girl in question looked up, pausing in the middle of stroking a particular bed sheet. Seeing that Hiccup wasn't anywhere near where she was, Astrid rolled her eyes. He managed to lose her again for the fourth time in the past thirty minutes. She called back, "Bedroom section."

Hiccup appeared a minute later, looking like a lost child. Astrid smirked at the look on his face.

"I wanna get out of here," he whined like a five year-old, trudging over to her.

Astrid rolled her eyes and went back to checking out the bed sheet. "Tough luck, honey, you took me here."

They were in a home depot sort of place – only way pricier. They had reached a census that Astrid's temporary room at Hiccup's house would be homier to her if she got to decorate it however she wanted.

"I got that weird nightlight you were looking for," she compromised. "Don't look so glum."

"You said you hate this place," Hiccup groaned, sitting on the bed that held the pillowcase, comforter, bed sheets and blankets she liked.

"Well, now I like this place," said Astrid. "Their stuff is exemplary. And get off the bed."

"We've been at this mall for _hours_, I'll sit where I want to," he pouted. He ceased when he felt the comforter she was holding and pulled it off her hands. "This feels really nice."

"Mm-hmm," Astrid agreed, smiling. "It's so soft."

"It really is."

She took a white comforter and two midnight blue ones, an Alice blue bed cover, two plain white pillowcases and Oxford blue pillows, and two Berlin blue blankets, all the while ignoring Hiccup's fixed stare. She stated matter-of-factly, "They seem durable, for sure. They fit the color scheme I had in mind, too. They're comfortable and nice-looking."

"You don't sound sixteen. You sound like a salesperson."

"I can imagine how it's going to look already," Astrid mused, cocking her head to the side – and spotting the cluster of fans nearby in the process (_Oh my God, how long have they been there?_). "Do you like them?"

He looked confused. "Um…yeah, they're…pretty?"

She laughed and pinched his cheeks. "Aw, you're so cute when you're confused."

He smiled and put his hands on her waist. They heard squeals from behind them at once and she pretended not to notice when his smile dropped. He retracted his hands and glanced down. He looked almost…disappointed?

"I'll get these," she said, placing the items in their cart.

"Yes, great, get them," Hiccup sighed. He continued, just loud enough for her to hear, "I wanna go home."

"Come on, babe, you said you _loved_ this place when you dragged me in here," Astrid said, smirking.

"Don't do that with your face. Makes you look like you're planning to destroy the Earth," he grinned. "And you called me b—"

"Okay, you need to shu—" Astrid caught herself, noticing that the gawking fans had gotten from a few feet away to a few steps away (_When did they get so close?_), "stop being so funny!"

She got that shit-eating grin from him again. He stood beside her and waved at the cluster of people. They started to approach and she fumed internally, knowing he's probably planning to use them to his favor. She put on a smile and waved as well. The girls who squealed before rushed over with another girl, who looked bored to death.

"Hey!" Hiccup smiled at them and the two girls' jaws fell open. He held out his hand for them to shake.

"Tamara," the other girl said coolly, shaking his hand. She was short, with a pretty face, but she looked intimidating. She had short, layered dark brown hair and green eyes. Tamara pointed to the two blonde girls. "Those are my idiot friends Marnie and Kylee."

"It's lovely to meet you guys," Hiccup said sweetly. Astrid offered a tight smile and looked down, pretending to check out their cart, but really, she was rolling her eyes.

"Oh my God! It's lovely to meet you too!" the two were gushing.

"Can we get a picture of you?" Marnie asked. "Like, you and Astrid?"

"It'd be so cute if we got a Hiccstrid picture!" Kylee squealed.

"Sure," Hiccup said, holding a hand out to Astrid. "Come on, milady."

Astrid obliged, posing for one picture with him and another with all of them, before getting asked to take a picture of the two girls with Hiccup and then rudely shoved to the side as they threw themselves all over him. She didn't even realize she was making a face before Tamara came to stand beside her and muttered, "I know, right?"

"What?" she asked.

Tamara shrugged. "You looked vaguely pissed off. I love that. You look better without all the makeup, by the way. But that's just my opinion, I mean, you look pretty either way, you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. Well, thanks," Astrid laughed. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Astrid."

"I know." Tamara smiled sheepishly. "I love your covers. I saw you one time at a coffee shop gig, too. So…can we – um, can I get a picture? Before you get super famous and unattainable and stuff…"

"Unattainable? Hah," Astrid scoffed (_Unattainable? That's just ridiculous._). "Come here!"

They took a few 'selfies' before Hiccup, Kylee and Marnie approached them. The girls asked for one last group selfie, and Astrid felt Hiccup's arm snake around her waist as he pulled her close. Assuming it's only for the photo, she let him and smiled at the camera. The three girls thanked them and rushed off, yelling goodbyes.

As soon as they were out of sight, she stepped away from him, forcing him to draw his arm back. "Well, we've got everything! We can leave now."

"Yeah."

They proceeded to check out, where an old lady told them they were 'lucky to be in love' and complimented their product choices, then faced an entire crowd of fans outside the store. After they've managed to get through, the two had come to a conclusion that it's best to go home. But not before stopping at a store that sold DVD's, because Astrid was sick of not having anything to watch except for the Simpsons movie and one of the SpongeBob movies. They'd ended up buying comedy, horror and thriller movies ("Absolutely _no_ romance, Hofferson." "Do I seriously look like I watch those?" "As a matter of fact, yes." "I hate you.") before finally settling into the car.

"You know, we must've looked pretty legit back there," Hiccup mused as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Astrid frowned. "Isn't that the point?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Just saying, you're a really good actress. You even looked jealous when…you know. Have you considered acting?"

Yes, she had. In fact she'd just sent something in for a horror movie – with Heather's approval, of course. "Jealous? Jealous when?"

"When we were shopping for pillows and stuff?"

"Oh yeah," Astrid said non-committally. Had she really looked jealous? Because she _wasn't _jealous whatsoever. Honest. "Well, what can I say? I guess I'm just _such_ a great actress."

"Which is why I asked if you've ever thought about acting, you know, as a career."

"Ah. Yeah, I have. I have an audition two days from now," she said, fighting to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Really? Astrid, that's great!" he said, looking at her and almost colliding with another car. That went unnoticed, even when he returned his gaze to the road. "What movie is it?"

"It's a _Psycho_ remake. You know, the 1960's film."

"Yeah, you shoved the DVD in my face earlier," Hiccup said, chuckling. "But seriously, that's cool. What part are you auditioning for?"

"Marion," Astrid answered shortly. "We'll watch the movie later and I'll tell you all about it."

"All right," he nodded. "I seriously hope you get the part, though. You're a good actress."

"You're not so bad yourself," she said, smiling.

"Why thank you, milady. I've guest starred on a few shows myself," he said, pulling up into a Starbucks parking ground.

"Oh yeah, that Nickelodeon show, I remem—" Astrid stopped talking and looked at him, puzzled. They ate barely half an hour ago. _Seriously, where does it all go? _"Why are we stopping?"

"We never got our coffee," he said, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out into the early evening air. "Come on."

She literally hadn't even undone her seatbelt when their phones rang at the same time. Astrid groaned and grabbed her phone, tapping 'answer' and putting it next to her ear. She saw Hiccup do the same outside the car. "Yeah?"

"Hey, girl!" Heather greeted cheerfully. "Guess what?"

"I can't guess right now," Astrid whined. "What is it?"

"Well, since you're gaining fame quick – and by 'quick' I mean _quick_ – Seventeen magazine wants you to do a double-page spread!"

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes!" Heather said gleefully. "Apparently they want to get to you before anyone else. You did well today! I saw _lots_ of pictures of you and Hiccup, and you guys are trending all over the Internet!"

"Is he really that famous? Wow."

"Yes, and that's how famous you're going to be as well!"

"Heather," Astrid sighed. "That's great, but I told you, I… I'm not a pop star."

Her manager was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, okay. Well, are you cool with the spread?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Heather."

"It's alright. I'll call you soon, bye!" she said before hanging up.

Astrid sighed and rubbed her eyes, before seeing that Hiccup was looking at her expectantly outside the car. "I'll stay here."

He shrugged and walked inside. He came back as soon as he left, though. It kind of upset her – she just suddenly wanted to be alone with her thoughts. He handed her coffee that she didn't like and that drew the final straw.

Didn't anyone care what she wanted? First, she was forced into this whole thing, her manager expected her to be some peppy pop star, and now the goddamn coffee.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked as the engine came to life.

Astrid hid her scowl in her coffee. She couldn't take it out on him. He was trying to help and she knew that. "Nothing. Just drive."

He did so in silence.

* * *

><p>"Okay, that was insane," Hiccup said, eyebrows furrowed, staring intently at the credits rolling.<p>

"Hence '_Psycho_'," Astrid remarked, pressing the open button on the remote. She watched as the tongue-like thing slid out with the disk on it.

"Right. Um, you're sixteen, right?" he asked tentatively.

"So are you. What's your point?" she quipped nonchalantly, pretty certain with where he was going with it.

He stammered, "W-well, in the movie, Marion – when Norman… I mean, we don't really see…but it's not the 60's anymore and now it's all modern and – and like, maybe they expect you to…but you're not—"

"What is it, Hiccup?" Astrid taunted, an eyebrow arched in amusement. Flustered and modest Hiccup was quite endearing.

"Are you actually going to be naked? Isn't that, like, illegal?" he asked quickly, all in one breath.

After giving it some thought, she shrugged. They _are_ letting her audition, so…that must mean something. "I don't know, maybe they can work around that somehow."

Hiccup nodded, his ears red. "Yeah, maybe."

"And come on, that wasn't even really naked."

"Yeah, yeah, I just meant…"

"Why are you worked up about this?" Astrid asked teasingly. "Were you thinking of me—"

"_No_, I wasn't! Stop it!"

She laughed, like _really_ laughed, and she realized how much she needed it after today's events. "Oh my God. That was definitely needed."

"Whatever," Hiccup muttered, picking up his phone.

Astrid turned off the home theatre set and settled into the armchair she'd claimed. Toothless quickly jumped onto her lap, begging for attention. She smiled as he turned over for a belly rub. She had him wriggling contentedly under her hand when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out, momentarily stopping the belly rub. That earned her a whine. "What the heck?"

"Oh, yeah," said Hiccup. "I mentioned you."

She read the notification saying she had over a hundred interactions on Twitter and tapped it. The screen switches to the app and she scrolls past the most recent interactions (_get married, get married, they're cute, I don't think a redhead and a blonde really mix, have babies, she kinda looks coked off, etc._) to where it all began. Apparently, Hiccup had simply mentioned her on a tweet and now her phone was exploding with notifications.

**'hung out with astridhofferson today. missed my best friend so much. she's still an idiot though'**

"How did you even find my Twitter?" Astrid asked as she followed him back and typed a reply.

"You know those girls we met earlier? They mentioned us in the pictures they posted," he answered.

Astrid hummed in response. "Yeah, I gotta look for that…dammit, this _thing_ is blowing up. I can't do anything."

"Get used to it," Hiccup laughed.

_Get used to it? Is he trying to rub his fame in her face?_ "All right, that's cocky."

"Wha—hey, if I am, then so are you!" he argued, sitting up.

"At least I didn't need some Disney show to get me where I am today," she said harshly. Toothless jumped off her. "I actually _worked_ for it."

"I can't believe you."

Astrid rolled her eyes. She felt a twinge of guilt for what she had said, but her pride just wouldn't let her apologize.

"God, I can't even look at you right now," Hiccup said coldly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well that's fucking great, 'cause now you won't have to," Astrid huffed and grabbed her leather jacket before storming out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Away from the house, it was dark. She had no idea where she was going. She had no car and even if she did, that would be useless – she never learned how to drive. She was the one in the wrong, that much she knew. She put on her jacket and ran a hand through her hair as she walked. It didn't matter where now. She had to get away from what she'd done, away from Hiccup, away from his angry green eyes, away from that thinly disguised wounded look on his face.

_Or you could swallow your stupid pride and apologize_, a voice in her head said.

Astrid tugged on a lock of hair frustratedly. _Why do I fuck everything up?_


	8. VIII - Hiccup

**this story is going on to a high T (so T+ i guess?) lmao but pretty soon it'll probably be an M but i can't really get myself to give a what-what and change it :(**

* * *

><p>Hiccup had been petting his dog absently, wondering if he should go after Astrid or let her be. He had decided that if he could come up with three reasons, he would go looking for her. He did come up with three motives:<p>

– he hated to admit it, but he was worried about her. It had been four hours since she left, and last time he checked, she had no car. What if she'd been kidnapped or something?

– he did promise himself that he would try to keep the peace between the two of them (_even though she's so infuriating. __What she said was low. And she got it wrong, too. It wasn't even Disney! Besides, she's also utilizing _someone's_ help for fame at the moment_).

– it would be the right thing to do. But what if she wanted space? She might punch him in the face. Or kick him in the balls. She always looked like she's perfectly capable of that.

But, as he had still felt unsure, he'd done the only thing he could – which was turn to his dog for advice.

"What do you think, bud? Should we look for Astrid?" he'd asked, scratching the dog behind his ears. Toothless had perked up at the mention of her name and stared at him intently, ears standing at attention. "I'll take that as a yes."

That explained why he was now parked by a narrow, dark alley with his lights off, discreetly watching as Astrid slowly strolled towards a tall blonde girl and a big man who looked like a bouncer. He realized with a jolt that he was about to watch Astrid sneak into a nightclub. Or more accurately, seduce a bouncer to let her into a nightclub through the backdoor.

He watched Astrid greet the other girl, who looked like someone he knew, but he couldn't pinpoint whom exactly. About two (flirt-filled) minutes passed and the man let them in, shaking his head.

"Well," he said, looking back at Toothless. "I doubt she'll be back for at least a few hours. Should we go home?"

They didn't. Hiccup [was too nice for his own good and] decided to drive around to kill time as he waited. He had gone to six different 24-hour fast food restaurants and ordered virtually nothing, sat down for a chat with a homeless guy, went for a late night scenic ride, went back to McDonalds to get a McFlurry, and finally drove back to the nightclub. He had successfully passed three hours.

He found the two girls leaning against the gritty wall, with glowing orange dots hovering near their hands. He only realized they were cigarettes when Astrid tilted her head back, white smoke puffing out from her lips. He could barely make her out in the dark but her hair was a dead giveaway.

"…Hiccup," she was saying, "It's not my greatest, but he hiccupped on the first meeting."

Her friend snorted. "Yikes. He's one of those pop artists, right? What's he like?"

"He's not like the bubblegum pop ones, he's innocent."

"So you haven't hooked up," her friend said.

"No, what the hell? I've only known him a few hours short of two days."

"It's like 3am, slut. And I don't know, I figured with the whole fake-dating thing came a fuck buddies thing."

"Ugh, no. He hates me."

"_No way!_ How could anyone hate you?"

"Shut up." Astrid punched her friend, whose name still remains a mystery to Hiccup.

"That's no way to treat your best friend, whom you haven't even texted in three days."

"Yeah, sorry about that. We probably won't get to hang out as much too," Astrid sighed. "I gotta go, he might've narked on me and I might get in trouble with management."

"You said you hitched a ride here, you floozy."

"Yeah, and I'll hitch a ride back," Astrid said simply. They hugged, and as they parted she tacked on, "Make good choices. I'll see you soon, hey?"

"Yeah, yeah. Take care," her friend said before turning around and heading back to the door, dropping her cigarette carelessly.

Astrid walked back out into the open street, squinting when she noticed his car. He turned the lights on and rolled his window down.

"How long have you been there?" Astrid asked sharply as she strolled over and yanked the passenger door open.

"I'll say a minute," Hiccup lied, eyeing the offending cancer stick in her hand.

She rolled her eyes and tossed it on the asphalt, scowling as she stubbed it out with her shoe. She climbed in and shut the door.

"Seatbelt," he reminded her. He's only seventeen – too young to be stuck in jail (for something that wasn't his fault).

Astrid made a face but buckled up anyway. He started the engine and drove.

The drive was quiet – he doubted she would appreciate it if he turned on the radio. The silence dragged on until –

"I'm sorry," Astrid said quickly. He glanced briefly at her to let her know he heard, prompting her to continue. "I shouldn't have picked a fight."

"It's fine."

He wasn't sure why he was expecting more words from her, but he did, and as he also anticipated, he was let down. He safely assumed she didn't apologize often. Then he realized he didn't actually _know_ Astrid, aside from the things he's read on her file, the fact that she's prideful (according to her manager, anyway), the newfound fact that she smoked and wasn't really into bubblegum pop, and the not-so-newfound fact that she liked to punch people.

"Would've been less insulting if you got the network right, though," Hiccup joked.

Astrid frowned at herself in the side mirror.

"I was kidding," he amended. "Hey, you know what? I bet we'd avoid a lot of these fights if we actually got to know each other. Not just from the fact sheets. It would be pretty neat if we talked about ourselves. I mean, you did agree to try being friends."

"Yeah, maybe when we get back to your house."

* * *

><p>"It's a long story."<p>

Astrid shrugged. "We have time."

He was silent for a moment, pooling his thoughts.

"I was born two months early," he began. "That's why I was tiny all throughout kindergarten to...well, now."

They stood side by side on the main balcony, looking at the view it provided.

He glanced up briefly to see Astrid staring at him, crystal blue eyes meeting his own. He looked back down at his hands, avoiding her gaze.

"I _hated_ school," he confessed. "I mean, I like learning and I got decent grades, but people there gave me a hard time. I got called names, picked on and stuff. I'd always get humiliated in front of everybody – people would pull away my chair when I was about to sit down, trip me in the hallway, things like that."

"There was this girl I liked," he said, smiling slightly. "Which sucked, 'cause she was the most popular girl in school or something like that. She didn't join in or anything, but she didn't help me out either. She was...I don't know, mean, I guess? I'd smile at her and she'd just walk away. I don't think she even acknowledged my existence until now. But that's fine. She hadn't been bad. Her friends had always said she was nice."

"What's her name?" Astrid asked, now looking at the view.

"Camicazi," he said, watching her watch the city lights.

"What does she look like?"

Hiccup chuckled, deciding to just be completely honest. "A lot less hotter than you."

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. "I was hoping for something more descriptive."

"She's short. Has blonde hair. Curly and darker than yours, though. She has that shade of green eyes you see on everyone – like, pale and faded. She's a little tanned. So yeah, she's really pretty. I wrote songs about her a lot."

Astrid shook her head.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said dismissively. "What do your parents do?"

"My mom's a zoologist. My dad used to be a music professor, but he passed away when I was twelve. Leukaemia."

"That's four years ago," Astrid said, to which he nodded. "I hate to be one of those people but...I'm sorry. I am."

"It's fine."

"Do you have siblings?" she asked.

"No. I have a cousin, though. He's actually my only cousin."

"So one of your parents was an only child, too?"

"Yeah, my mom. That's why I want an army of children when I'm older. Supposing someone would actually want to marry me," he admitted.

Astrid scoffed. "Like there aren't millions of girls who do."

He rolled his eyes. "I told you everything that came to mind. Guess you'll have to learn the rest within our five months together."

"I suppose," she said vaguely.

"I didn't even want to be famous in the first place," he confessed. "I just got discovered, and it was a decent way to get out of school so I took it."

"Oh."

"So, it's your turn. You're the reason we're doing this, after all."

Her entire frame stiffened but her eyes stayed straight ahead, glued to the bright lights. He took note of the way she kept her head held high (figuratively speaking) and the small frown on her lips.

"There's not much to say," she reasoned.

"Yeah, I doubt that."

Astrid was quiet for the longest time, he was beginning to think she wouldn't speak and didn't even plan to in the first place.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure if I want to be famous. I mean, it's good that I'll get to do what I love for a living, but...I didn't want it in the first place. I had other dreams but I wasn't born into a great life," she finally said.

"Yeah?" he prompted.

"My mother had me when she was eighteen," she started stiffly. "My dad was nineteen. Obviously things weren't going great because they were teenagers, and they had to stop everything because of me. So my mom never went to college and my father worked about three jobs, but that wasn't cutting it. Everything eventually went to shit when I was ten, so I was in and out of school, sometimes working odd little jobs. My dad..." she trailed off, her voice trembling slightly. She rubbed her arms roughly.

Hiccup quickly took off his jacket and draped it on her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said, one corner of her mouth turning up the slightest bit.

He nodded in acknowledgement, kind of hoping she would keep going, but kind of hoping she would punch him and say she didn't feel like talking.

"For the lack of better terms, my father sold me to the trade when I was thirteen," Astrid said spitefully.

Hiccup's breath caught. The thought of older men with their grimy, eager hands on her made bile rise up in his throat. "No."

Astrid smiled sadly. "I always managed to get away, though. Kick them where the sun never shines and steal their wallets."

He was angry. _That's supposed to be better?_

"Then he left," Astrid spat. "He left me and my mom alone in that crappy apartment. She got bitter and depressed, always going out to drink with different guys each week and never coming back for days, but then when she did, she slept most of the time, pretending I didn't exist. I figured... you know, doing what I did... wasn't enough, and I'd starve to death pretty soon if I didn't fend for myself."

Hiccup braced himself for the worst, already thinking of what he could tell her to make her feel less shitty if it was possible, but then he looked at her and there was a small smile on her face.

"So I went to a coffee shop to ask if I could work for them, and I met my best friend there. She's two years older than I am. She got me a place in the shop in exchange for a place in the apartment I lived in. She's pretty fucked, too – her parents died so she and her brother were put in an orphanage of some sort. Her brother got adopted and she got left behind so she made a run for it, taking her papers and everything."

Her friend's story sparked something in Hiccup's mind, but he couldn't put a finger on it, so he let it slip.

"I let her move in and she taught me how to play guitar, got me gigs and shit because she believed in me, and I didn't want to let her down and waste what she's given me, so...yeah, here I am."

"So...at the nightclub earlier, that was your best friend?"

"Yeah. I miss her already."

"Oh," he said dumbly, cursing himself for asking when he already knew the answer and for making himself look like an idiot. "Okay."

"Sometimes I wonder what would become of me if none of this happened," Astrid pondered aloud.

"Me too," he sighed. "I'm sorry I was a jerk on our first meeting. I can't blame you if you hate me. I wouldn't have liked me that much, if I were you."

"It's fine. I wasn't that nice either."

"Okay," he said, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "You can invite your friend over, if you want to."

"Anytime?" she sounded casual and nonchalant but he could hear the hopeful lilt in her voice. "Even tomorrow? Or tonight?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"Thanks, Hiccup," she said warmly, smiling at him.

He ignored the familiar fuzzy feeling he got in his stomach. "No problem."

"The sun's coming up," Astrid said, stepping away from the balcony railing. "We should probably try and get some sleep."

"Go ahead," he waved her off. "I don't think I can sleep."

She nodded and walked back inside to the upstairs hallway. He watched as she hesitated in front of her door – the sight of her wearing his jacket was mesmerizing. Suddenly, she turned and looked at him. One sleeve-covered hand was on the doorknob, the other was tucking golden hair behind her ear. He wanted to keep the moment forever.

"I don't hate you, y'know," she said before disappearing into her room.

Hiccup looked back out at the rising sun. "I've got to get myself a Polaroid."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I didn't get this chapter either. But I'd love to know what you think of it :)<strong>


	9. IX - Astrid

**kinda sorry about this tbh :( anYWAY**

* * *

><p><em>"Fired? What do you mean you got fired?" Astrid's mother all but yelled, eyes glinting in anger.<em>

_Her father was rubbing his temple with his fingers, right at the spot where Astrid got headaches sometimes. He sighed, "It means exactly what I said."_

_"Goddammit!" her mother hissed, dropping her fork onto her dish. It made a deafening clank. Astrid bit her lip, reflexively sinking into her chair._

_"Why can't you do anything right?" her mother continued._

_Her father slammed a fist onto the table. "You think I can help this? I—"_

_"Dad," Astrid whimpered._

_"You, shut up," her mother snapped. She turned back to Astrid's father, "What now, huh? We're fucking broke and you manage to lose your job!"_

_"I'm done with this," he muttered. He stood up abruptly, his chair toppling backwards. He stormed out of the room, and Astrid's mother followed shortly, shouting all the way._

_They screamed at each other for the longest time – her mother never stopped, not even when her father was outside the threshold with his bags. He ignored her as he trudged away._

_Astrid remained seated in front of the table, her eyes stinging, chest tight._

_The older woman slumped against the doorframe, one hand pressed to the opposite side, the other she used to pinch the bridge of her nose. Astrid slid out of her chair and ducked under her mother's arm, running after her father._

_"Astrid! Get back here!" her mother yelled._

_Astrid burst through the building's entrance and into the dense downpour, ignoring her mother's stern shouts. She started running. "Dad!"_

_He was bent over his beat-up old car, her cries falling on deaf ears. She saw as he fumbled to unlock it with wet, shaky hands, his face void of emotion._

_"Dad!"_

_Astrid reached him in time, her lungs aching, stomach heavy, throat tight. The rainwater and her tears blurred his broad shoulders. She furiously swiped at her eyes._

_He turned to face her. "Get back inside, Astrid. You'll catch a cold."_

_"Daddy, please," she choked out._

_His hard gaze softened, and he sunk to his knees in front of her, taking her hands. "Be good. I love you."_

_"Please don't leave," Astrid sobbed desperately._

_"I'm sorry, love," he said, kissing the top of her head before pulling his hands away. He quickly got into his car and shut the door. The engine roared loudly and the car started moving._

_"No!" Astrid, previously frozen to the spot with grief, quickly walked over, her palms striking the metal as if that would stop him from leaving. The car sped up and she ran after it, frenzied. She ran and ran, screaming and crying, until she couldn't keep up anymore._

_She sank to the cold, hard ground, in the middle of the road, sobbing hysterically. She didn't know how long. Cars swerved past, people walked by, but none of them stopped for her. She dragged herself to the sidewalk and sat, pulled her knees to her chest and watched as the streetlights flickered on. A couple walked past her, bickering, not even sparing her a second glance._

_She decided she doesn't believe in love._

Astrid rubbed her eyes roughly, sitting up in bed. Sleep evaded her and the memories wouldn't leave her alone. She glanced at the three parallel lines on her forearm. They were white, nearly undetectable on her skin. She frowned at the memory.

_She sat in the tub, the shower's scalding water beating down on her back. Astrid furiously rubbed at her skin, almost scratching, leaving long red streaks in her hands' wake. No amount of cheap soap in the world could wash away what had transpired._

_She let out a hoarse sob, the previous events coming back to her in flashes – the hands harshly squeezing her hips and groping her chest, the hot breaths on her face, the guttural grunts, the patronizing look on her boyfriend's face as he told her the blood was normal, that she was supposed to hurt and bleed, the sharp pain she felt throughout everything, the contented sigh escaping his lips as she got off him, the bloodstained condom tossed into the trashcan, the way he hurriedly put on his clothes, his hand slapping her ass as she stood up and stiffly walked to the bathroom, the sound of his hurried goodbye and doors noisily clicking shut._

_She rubbed her skin raw, screamed until her chest was red, but nothing eased the anger and disgust that ran through her entire being. Then she saw it, one of her mother's razor blades, on the corner of the tub. She grabbed it with a shaky hand._

_Without thinking, she ran the metal horizontally across her forearm, a few inches away from her wrist. Her lips parted in a silent gasp, slightly wincing at the immediate trickle of scarlet running down her arm. She sliced through her skin again, watching as blood poured out. Red-tinged water swirled down the drain, but the blood didn't stop. She dragged the blade across her skin once more, teeth digging into her lip. The lacerations were deep – she could tell by the way the skin was broken. The blood came continuously, appearing as quickly as the water washed it away, and she considered letting herself bleed out, until she could bleed no more. She could feel herself slowly lose focus._

_A sudden noise startled her, pulling her out of her pain-induced stupor. In a panic, Astrid tossed the blade back to where she found it. She quickly got up and turned off the shower, grabbing her towel. She wrapped it around herself. Blood dripped and splattered across the white tiles._

_"Mom?" she called out._

_"No, it's Ruffnut," came the reply._

_She sighed. She should've known – her mother had left the night before with a friend. Her mother usually didn't come back for days. Why she still hoped was beyond her. "Okay."_

_The blood kept dropping freely. Astrid turned on the sink in a last ditch effort to... well, she didn't know what for. She could barely think straight._

_"Where are you?" Ruffnut asked. Her voice sounded close. "We have to talk."_

_"I'm in the bath," Astrid said nervously, hoping her friend wouldn't come in – the door's lock was broken. She swayed slightly and held on to the rim of the sink to keep from keeling over._

_Nothing was going right for her that day._

_Ruffnut burst in, and her face immediately twisted into a confused and horrified expression. "Astrid! What happened?"_

_Astrid couldn't bring herself to speak. She felt lightheaded and her knees trembled slightly._

_"Oh God," Ruffnut breathed, grabbing her by the arm. She kicked the toilet cover shut over the seat and gently sat Astrid down. She grabbed the first aid kit from the compartment beneath the mirror and knelt down in front of the other blonde. She cleaned the cuts and wrapped them up._

_"Come on," she said, taking Astrid's hands and leading her to the bed. She grabbed some clothes and handed them over to the trembling girl. "Don't ever do that again, you hear?"_

_Astrid nodded as she gratefully took the clothes and got rid of her towel. She got dressed in front of Ruffnut, who looked on in concern, waiting for an explanation._

_After she finished, she sat back down and Ruffnut immediately scooted close, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Hey, what happened?"_

_Astrid told her everything, choking on the words, accidentally biting her tongue a few times in the process. She expected the older girl to be angry, to say that she wasn't supposed to have done it at thirteen, but Ruffnut only squeezed her arm._

_"It's not supposed to hurt," Ruffnut said sternly. "You're not supposed to bleed. That wasn't your hymen being popped or whatever shit people told you. You just weren't aroused, so you weren't wet and something got torn. He took advantage of you. That's not okay. Remember that for next time?"_

_Astrid nodded, though she doubted there would be a next time. "Okay."_

_"Do you love him? _Did_ you love him?" Ruffnut asked._

_Astrid shook her head. She didn't love. She didn't know how. It was all bullshit._

_"Why?"_

_She shrugged. "I don't believe in that."_

Astrid sighed and got out of bed. She walked over to the mirror. Her eyes were red-rimmed from the lack of sleep, and her hair was a mess. She glanced at the radio clock on the bedside table – the red numbers read 7:18. She wondered if Hiccup was still awake.

To confirm, she walked over to the door and opened it. She instantly picked up the sound of Hiccup moving around downstairs. She slipped out and closed the door behind her. She made her way down the stairs, and as she pulled her hair into a haphazard bun, she remembered that she was still wearing Hiccup's jacket. She took it off and walked towards the kitchen.

She felt cold about a second later, so she made a beeline for the living room, finding her leather jacket over Toothless's head. She walked over and gently lifted it, but still stirring him awake. He was quick to shoot her a gummy smile that she couldn't help but giggle at. She stroked his head and left him to go back to sleep.

She threw on her jacket and walked to the kitchen with Hiccup's in hand. He turned around just as she came in, like last time. Astrid didn't know whether to be impressed or weirded out.

"Good morning," he said. "Sorry, I haven't made breakfast yet. I just got up. Help yourself to anything in the bar."

The way he was looking at her – like she was fragile – sparked a small flare of annoyance within her. She was _not_ fragile.

"Yeah, sure," she said. She strode over and handed him the jacket briskly. "Thanks for that."

"It's okay."

She wasn't hungry, but she promptly sat in front of the breakfast bar, resting her elbows on the marble surface. She looked at the shelves laden with cereal and whatever snacks he ate in the morning.

"So... Are you okay?" he asked, occupying the stool beside her. He placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of her.

"Peachy," she said sarcastically, rubbing her eyes. "Are you?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Feel like carrying on?"

She raised an eyebrow. _He's relentless_, she thought. _Keeps his promises, though_.

"Not really."

He nodded at the lines on her forearm. "You haven't told me about those."

She had already bared [some parts of] herself just a few hours ago. She didn't even really want to tell him whatever she had told him, let alone discuss them in great detail.

"Yeah? You haven't told me about how your unrequited love for this Camicazi girl ended," she countered. Frankly, she didn't really give a shit. She just wanted to distract him from prying. "Now I'm hungry, and you haven't made breakfast. You could at least get us something."

He snapped his fingers. "My cousin's coming over for something he didn't really make clear. I'll ask him to grab us some food."

"Brilliant," Astrid said unenthusiastically, watching him type out a text to his cousin. She never really liked eating. Big meals, that is. What she liked was sitting in front of the TV with animal crackers and some water. Childish, but who didn't love animal crackers? (She made a mental note to grab some the next time they shop.)

"We can play 20 Questions while we wait," Hiccup said, placing his phone on the bar.

"Okay." Astrid took a sip of her hot chocolate, appreciating the warmth of the mug on her hands. "You can go first."

"Uh, who was your first kiss?" he asked.

"I was 10, I forgot his name. How many girlfriends have you had?"

"Two," he said sheepishly. "You?"

"I didn't have any girlfriends," she teased.

"You know what I mean!"

"The same," Astrid answered. "Do you have a crush on anyone right now?"

"W-why would you want to know?" Hiccup stammered, blushing.

Astrid smirked. "So you do."

"Whatever," he said. "Are you a virgin?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Getting a little brave there?"

"No, it's not like that! It's just...last night – ugh, just answer the question."

"Okay, fine, I'm not."

"Really?" if it was fake or he really was genuinely surprised, Astrid didn't know.

"Really. Are _you_ a virgin?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

Astrid smiled in spite of herself. She thought it was cute. He had nothing to be embarrassed about. At least he hasn't already lost it to the wrong person. She felt like she needed to assure him.

"It's totally okay if you are," she said. "You're just sixteen."

"Okay, so... um, if you don't mind me asking, how old were you when...?"

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him.

It was ridiculous, she knew, when she'd already told him so much. What's one more fact, right?

She was volatile and maybe she did have trust issues as people had claimed, but there were things she wasn't comfortable sharing with anyone, and she'd shared a fair amount of those things with him. Not to mention they've only known each other for a couple of days.

She'd already made the mistake. So, it was ridiculous to snap over his question, but she didn't feel bad about it and she wasn't about to.

Hiccup sighed. "Sorry. I'll back off. You don't have to tell me anything anymore, sorry for making you feel like you had to. I didn't realize I—"

"Okay," she interrupted. "I'm just – it's a little hard."

"Yeah, I get it, but—"

"If you're going to ask why I told you all those things earlier, it was 4am. You know how weird things get after 12am. Everyone gets sentimental."

"True." Hiccup laughed.

She allowed herself a half-smile. "It is."

"So...trust issues?"

_They stood outside the local dive, two feet away from each other. She was shivering, arms folded, while he was warmly bundled up in the bitter cold._

_"I'm breaking up with you."_

_She didn't know what to say – it was her first breakup. "Fine."_

_"I'm sure you'll find someone else. I mean, you're hot and all that shit."_

_Astrid blinked disbelievingly. "Is that why you wanted me?"_

_"Yeah, but – look, I'm sorry, but you're kind of dead weight, with your feelings and shit. An emotional baggage, if you will."_

_"So you used me?"_

_"Wh— all right. You want me to tell it how it is? Fine. Yes, I used you. I only wanted you for sex. I don't even like you."_

_"Oh fuck off," she said. She watched as he shrugged and walked away – from her, from _them_. She wondered why she ever let him in._

_Next she was sitting on the floor, a perfectly good bed behind her. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, her stomach twisting in anxiety. She's getting left behind, again. Another breakup._

_"I'm sorry, Astrid, but it's not working out... It won't do us any favors staying in this relationship," he said gently._

_"You said you loved me."_

_"Yeah, because I did. I don't know if you did too – you never said it back. You're just... too emotionally unavailable. I'm really sorry."_

_Astrid sighed. "Fine. Just go."_

_She thought back to her father leaving, and her first breakup. She mulled over what had just happened._

_She swore to herself she'll never let anyone in again._

A sharp snap pulled Astrid out of her reverie. Her eyes focused on the hand in front of her face. She shook her head, as if it would help clear her mind. "Sorry, I was... thinking."

"Right," Hiccup muttered.

"And I don't have trust issues," she snapped, albeit it wasn't as sharp as she intended.

He shrugged. "If you say so."

"I just did."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Cool."

"Great," she retorted. She was starting to worry about running out of rebuttals when the doorbell rang. _Saved by the bell_, she thought amusedly (don't judge).

"That's probably my cousin," Hiccup said, standing up and glancing at her attire. "Wanna go see him?"

"Depends," Astrid replied playfully. "Is he hot?"

"Probably not to you, no," he quipped easily.

She pretended to mull it over, then shrugged and stood up. "Well, he has the food, so..."

She followed Hiccup, still holding her mug of hot chocolate. They passed a mirror in the entrance hallway, and she stopped for a moment to examine herself – leather jacket thrown over a wrinkled floral nightdress, hair in a tangly bun, feet bare, looking tired as hell – and quickly caught up just in time to see him open the door.

"Hey, cuz."

A guy with a stocky and slightly short build stood at the doorway. He had a grin on his face, azure eyes bright with mischief. But what caught Astrid's eye was the paper bag of fast food he held.

"Astrid, this is my cousin Sn—" Hiccup started.

His cousin spotted her and coolly ran a hand through his straggly dark hair. "Well, don't you look _thrilled_ to see me."

Astrid snorted. "Yeah, I'm thrilled alright. To see the food."

He laughed. "Understandable. The name's Snotlout."

"Is that legit your name?" she asked.

Her question wasn't answered, thanks to Hiccup's unceremonious shout of surprise. Astrid craned her neck sideways, looking past Snotlout. An amiable-looking but heavyset blonde guy stood a few steps behind him, waving.

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup greeted, smiling.

Astrid's eyebrows rose in amusement. _What is it with the weird nicknames?_

"Hey, _Hiccup_," the blonde guy said. "I heard that's what you go by now. I got a call from Tu— whoa."

He was looking at Astrid in wonder, a goofy expression on his face. He looked dumbstruck.

She reined in a laugh. "What? Never seen a girl up close before?"

"Yeah, Fishlegs, close your mouth," Hiccup joked. Astrid rolled her eyes.

Fishlegs shook his head vigorously. "S-sorry, I just – I heard about the girl you're supposed to be best friends with, I just wasn't expecting—"

"A total drop-dead hottie," Snotlout finished.

Astrid rolled her eyes yet again. Didn't he see what she wore?

Hiccup laughed shortly, "Well, are you gonna stand there and ogle at her all day or...?"

"Gross," Astrid said, stepping off to the side to let the boys in, "Never say 'ogle' again. Ever."

"Ogle, ogle, ogle," Hiccup said, loudly and obnoxiously. He closed the door and began to lead their guests to the kitchen, saying the word again and again until Snotlout joined in.

"Shut up!" Astrid snapped, but her small outburst fell on deaf ears. She turned to the amused blonde walking beside her. "Are they always this immature?"

"Yep, basically," he replied, chuckling. His phone started ringing and he scrambled to pull it out of his pocket. He then brought it to his ear. "Hey! Yeah, we're at Hiccup's house, why? _What?_ Oh, you're such an idiot! Fine. Just stay put."

He hung up and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. That was Tuffnut, he's— uh, Astrid...?"

"Holy shit."

* * *

><p><strong>exciting little thing up ahead, yaaaaas<strong>


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